


Different

by katarina_230



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-15
Updated: 2014-03-15
Packaged: 2018-01-15 20:49:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1318732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katarina_230/pseuds/katarina_230
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A group of wildlings go for a tourney in Winterfell, while the king is here. What could go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you will like it! :)  
> I'm sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, English it's not my first language.  
> If you like it, leave a review. :)

The girl frowned when she first saw the kneeler king - in fact, she tough there was nothing regal about him. The man was not old, but by his looks she would have tough he had at least twice the age Mance told her he had. Fat, with a golden armor and a crown way to small for him, Robert Baratheon was riding in a coach, next to him a woman who Ygritte supposed was the queen. The girl couldn't help but notice the hostile, superior look she had. As an opposite to her husband, the Lannister woman was tall and lean, with blonde curls and an air of nobility surrounding her. " I wouldn't like to have her as my queen", Ygritte decided, as she took a look at Dalla, who was standing next to her. True, Dalla and Mance wore no gold and jewels, but at least their king would never allow himself to become a drunkard - as he described the kneeler king - , sitting on the throne only because it was "his". Among the other things Mance told her about that man it was the fact that he was no better at being a leader than he was looking. The realm was in debt, and the king was always planning tourneys and parties for every possible reason, never present when the council was supposed to talk about how to get out of this. Most people were not well provided even for the autumn, let alone the winter, and there was a really big number of people who sailed to foreign lands, like Essos. Mance said that the kneeler king didn't even notice. And about the queen Mance did not have a better opinion - it was said that she didn't care about her people more than King Robert did. And well ... there were rumors in the kingdom that those three kids were actually made out of wedding. At that moment, Ygritte felt proud because Mance was her king. Because he earned his place, because he cared about his people and did everything he could to make sure at least most of them are happy. And Dalla, beautiful Dalla who was perfect for Mance, Dalla who asked about the sick campers health, who did not protest when she need to search in mud for different plants, Dalla who could see and read somebody intentions, who tried to understand all the possible consequences before making a decision. And yet, that drunk fat man was sitting on the throne, while Mance and Dalla were posing as a bard and his wife, along with her,Val and Sigorn, who also wanted to see that side of the Wall. Ygritte smiled - she could not wait for the tourney to start, thinking about how she was going to compete as a "mysterious knight" in the melee fight, while Sigorn was going to compete in the joust. They made a bet, that if any of them won will crown the other as queen, or king, of love and beauty. That would be something, Ygritte tough as she watched Robert Baratheon greeting his friend, Lord Eddard Stark.  
Next day, she felt like her heart was about to jump from the chest when she defeated her first opponent - one boy, as the same age as her, with curly hair and a beautiful pair of eyes. "He is nice", Ygritte tough, as she throw away the sword in his hand and put her own at his throat. " In a real combat, he would be dead by now. The knight of flowers, they call him." In her mind, he was a kid. Extremely proud are sure he will win, he did not even tried till it was almost over and Ygritte had all the chances to win. "He is so sure ... but in the North we are never underestimating our enemy. In the North we knew better than that.". After that she defeated some others, all proud boys from noble houses."They all fight the same", she realized as she put down a guy called Harrion Karstark. All of them had the same learned moves, made without even thinking. She learned the sword fight when she was very young, but it was later when a free folk, who used to be master-at-arms in a castle, taught her properly - he showed her how to surprise your enemy, how to not get surprised, and put her in a lot of situations. Sometimes he prepared her for a cheating opponent, other times he fought honorably. Sometimes he told her to go on one side, and he attacked from the other direction. And so she found herself becoming one of the best fighters of the free folk.  
But her matches did not mean all the Southerns were not good warriors. In fact, she saw some matches who made her realize she had so much work to do in order to became as good as some of the fighters. Perhaps the match between the queen's brother and the prince's sworn shield was the greatest. Both man were so talented, so determinate, and almost equal in their sword skills, so no one could say who was going to won. At the end, when Sandor Clegane's sword was pointed at Jamie's neck, almost every woman let a sigh out. Ygritte heard most of them talking about how they wanted to be crown queen of love and beauty by the kingsguard. "Perhaps I can train with him and make him show me some moves", she tough about the man they called "The Hound".  


But then, when her next match came, she found herself against a huge man, whom they called "The Mountain". And for the first time, she was afraid. Not because of his height, or his skill, or even the fact that he fought with so much hate - but because he fought for real. He drove his sword right to her heart, and she was able to avoid him in the last moment. Then he attacked very fast at her head, but she was quick. It was a good thing she wore a helmet, and an armor. It was the first time, because there was not very much steel behind the Wall, and that made her movements somehow hard, but she was still a match for most men. But the one standing in front of her was not any man, he was a monster. A huge monster, who was determined to drive that big sword right through her. At first, when Mance told her about him, he tough it was somehow an exaggeration, because he was a South lord, but then she saw for herself that it was the plain truth - there was blood on that sword, and on those hands, and he was eager to add some new one. But she wasn't, and she fought and fought. It took a long time, and she realized he had won the previous matches in a few minutes - and all of the opponents were declared defeated when they felt for the first time and not get up fast. Some of them were wounded, but The Mountain did no wish to hurt them - he wished to kill them. And she was the next victim on the list. Ygritte tried to hit on his back, only to find him already turned. The next thing she knew was that he grabbed her by her foot, and then she was lying on the ground, without being able to feel very much. But she saw the red blood on the grass, she heard the bell who announced a match was over, and she heard her king calling her name.

***  
"Ygritte!", Mance screamed as he went to the battlefield. His lute was throw somewhere, and a sword appeared into his hand, and the next thing he knew was that the Clegane brothers were fighting each other, while he was pulling the girl helmet out."Ygritte!", he screamed for a second time,"Can you hear me?"  
But she gave him no response. In fact, he heard some people saying: " It's a girl.","She's not older than my daughter.", and the steel clashing when Sandor Clegane tried to get his brother away from the girl. Val and Dalla were next to him, both of them worried - the truth was that he started to see Ygritte like he would have saw his own daughter, and he could not bare the tough something bad would happen to her. Same for Sigorn, who he had saw last time when Jaime Lannister lost the fight against The Hound. At least, he was thankful the boy was not here. He was so impulsive he might have tried to defeat The Mountain himself. And fail, because he was not half so skilled.  
Mance did not knew when the king ordered Gregor Clegane to leave, not when he did it, but the next thing he remembered was that Ygritte was taken in the wounded tent."Somebody will take care of her", he tried to convince himself as he went back to the spectator places, and the matches carried on. How could they go on? he tough. Like nothing would have happened. But he knew no one was paying attention to the mans who fought, because he could hear the public. Horrified girls, mans who insulted Clegane ( but Mance was sure they would not be so brave if he was somewhere close ), The Knight of Flowers trying to defend his honor, because he was defeated "by a girl". Mance frowned - he always hated the fact that woman were treated like lesser creatures by the South mans. Behind the Wall, they were all equal. Man, woman it did not matter. The place of birth did not matter either, or who was your great-great-great aunt. The only thing that mattered was competence. Wise people on councils, good commanders ruling the people, fighters on the battlefield and so on.  
As Dalla's hand leaned into his own, he started to calm down.  
***  
Ygritte found herself in a small room, filled with smells like flowers and things used for healing. Next to her stood a man dressed in a grey robe, who was patting her bare chest. She suddenly felt scarred, because, if she had not saw the move she wouldn't have known someone was touching her. "This will leave a scar", she tough, as the memories from that day started to came back. Or was it yesterday? Or a week ago? She tough about Mance, about Dalla, Val and Sigorn - had she put them all in danger? Any of them could fight against the kneelers, but they were so many. And if that man they called a king was going to found about wildlings in Winterfell, surely nothing good was going to happen. She tough about Benjen Stark, who was first ranger. Was he there as well? Had he recognized Mance?   
She was sure she must find her friends, but how could she? It was almost impossible to move, but it did not hurt. She did not know if it was a good or a bad thing.  
"Oh, so you woke up!", the man cherished her. "Faster than I tough - please, don't be scared. I gave you something to stop the pain, but you will not be able to move for the next few hours."  
"Who are you?"  
It was hard to speak, but it was harder to be quiet till she could go and find the news for herself.  
"I am Maester Luwin, sworn to House Stark. And you are the knight everyone is talking about - what's your name, if I can ask?"  
"Ygritte."  
"That's a beautiful name. I must assure you, Ygritte, your friends are fine. The bard and his wife, and her sister. But I cannot say the same about that boy, Sigorn - he asked about you."  
"What happened to him?"  
"Well, he fell from his horse when he jousted against The Knight of Flowers, but he is fine. Only his leg suffered a minor damage, and he will be able to walk again in a few days. And you will heal fast - you were really quick, and the wound it's not very deep."  
Ygritte felt her cheeks getting red, and was suddenly ashamed of herself. How could she go back to her people, to tell them she was defeated by a South man? Even if that man was The Mountain. Would they be able to look at her as they used to?  
Well, they better should, she tough. Only a few of them could have defeated that one.  
But still, the feeling remained.   
"What happened next? Who won?"  
The maester looked at her, and, before he spoke, he covered her chest with some soft material.  
"Gregor Clegane was disqualified and the melee was won by his brother, Sandor. He didn't crown anyone as queen of love and beauty, but let his last opponent, Arys Oakheart, do this, and he choose the queen. At the jousting Loras Tyrell won, and crowned Lady Sansa."  
Ygritte could not help but wonder how did the Tyrell boy won. Perhaps he is better with the horse than he is with a sword, she tough.  
She did not talk about her feeling of shame till Mance come to see her. And he laughed, saying that if anyone would think less of her because of that, he will take care to make that one go against The Mountain in a single combat.   
"What did Sigorn ... well, he will have to give some explications",Mance said."I share the blame to, because now we are prisoners. Kneeler's king prisoners."  
And then Mance started to tell her how Sigorn yelled from his horse that he is a free folk, and he will always be one, how he started to criticize Robert Baratheon, how he laughed at Loras Tyrell, telling that he is not a worthy opponent, and how he claimed that he will steal a girl, Lady Sansa, for himself and go beyond the Wall with her. Then Benjen Stark recognized Mance, and, with the help of the kingsguard, put them all into the castle, to be questioned by Lord Stark himself.


End file.
